What Stanfield Is Reading & Watching

“I Wish My Teacher Knew…”

We recently heard about a 3rd grade teacher who decided to try to get to know her students better… some of the results were heartbreaking as students disclosed personal information that allowed Miss. Schwartz to learn more than she thought she would.

Say says, “As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my student’s lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn’t know about my students. Some notes are heartbreaking like the first like the first #iwishmyteacherknew tweet which read, ‘I wish my teacher knew that I don’t have pencils at home to do my homework.’ I care deeply about each and every one of my students and I don’t want any of them to…”

Miss. Schwartz is urging other teachers to do the same thing & connect with her students by further understanding what outlying factors may contribute to their schooling.

Great job Miss. Schwartz! Even teachers can benefit from doing some social & emotional learning with their students.

Will Kids With Disabilities Get More Athletic Opportunities?

Back in 2013, federal officials started moving forward with an “equal access for all” plan in which they started telling school districts that they had to offer students with disabilities equal access to school sports. They went on to say that “students with intellectual, developmental, physical, and other types of disabilities should be afforded opportunities to plan for their school teams with modifications, aids, and services as needed.”

Well good news for North Carolina! Students with special needs in North Carolina may very soon have additional opportunities to participate in athletics if a bill in the N.C. House is passed.

House Bill 314 could potentially provide $300,000 a year to the Department of Public Instruction or State Aid for Public Schools to develop & implement a pilot athletics program for students with disabilities in K-12. If passed, this program would meet the requirements set back in January 2013 from the U.S. Department of Education that requires equal access to extracurricular athletics for students with disabilities.

More importantly, children with disabilities would be given the opportunity to participate and there would be an increase in awareness of the need to have these kinds of opportunities for children with disabilities. Thus, potentially seeing a greater confidence level and self-esteem within them! Ideally, more states will follow this North Carolina protocol. We’re definitely all for it!

What Causes Bad Breath

One of the worst things that can possibly happen is realizing you have bad breath while on a first date or while talking to someone important. (You’re probably thinking, “I wish I had a mint right now!” or “I shouldn’t have eaten that garlic pizza last night.” And that certainly does not make a good First Impression) But have you ever wonder what actually causes bad breath? Are you familiar with the term “halitosis”? This TedEd video does a great job of letting us know what actually causes bad breath- and what you can do when you fall victim to bad breath!

Why Every Classroom Should Implement Arts & Crafts

Unfortunately, not all schools or classrooms integrate arts & crafts as part of their teaching curriculum. Part of it is due to funding and budget cuts, but many people believe that arts & crafts don’t serve enough benefits to kids to actually implement as part of their curriculum, so they focus on a more academic approach, like math & reading.

However, at Peralta Elementary School in Oakland, teachers believe that art is an essential part of learning with many benefits. “It teaches kids how to think creatively, which is an essential skill for future jobs.” Art also helps them problem-solve and expand their brain. And all the aforementioned helps them perform academically as well.

So whether it’s having your students create a painting of the Revolutionary War, or a shoe box summary for a given book, implementing art is key! AND it makes learning fun for them! Read more about the benefits of art here.

Why That Song Gets Stuck In Your Head

Have you every wondered why a certain song or certain lyrics from a song get stuck in your head (over and over and over again)? It’s one of life’s greatest mystery! Over 90% of people are plagued by “ear worms” at least once a week. Apparently these “ear worms” are at fault….

School Gardens Bring Benefits For Students

HAPPY EARTH DAY! In honor of Earth Day, here’s a great article about school gardens.

We should be thinking of school/community gardens as “living classrooms” for students. Not only is this “living classroom” filled with great potential for learning, but gardens also allow students to connect with global issues through the natural resources of earth!

“Numerous studies point to school gardens as a means of improving academic achievement, promoting healthy lifestyles, demonstrating the principles of stewardship, encouraging community and social development, and instilling a sense of place.”

Who knew that school gardens could bring such great benefits! We hope your school and/or community has a garden program!

#MotivationalMonday

Why Some People Are Left-Handed

Have you ever wondered why some people are left handed, while the majority of people are right handed? Roughly 10% of the world’s population is left handed, so what causes people to be left handed in the first place?

Why Kids Need To Move, Explore, & Experience To Learn

The brain and the body have always had a strong connection. However, in order to REALLY engage our students/kids and help them perform at their best, research finds that it’s important to move beyond what’s happening in the head. This is referred to as “embodied learning.” Maria Montessori, author of The Secret of Childhood, stated “Movement, or physical activity, is thus an essential factor in intellectual growth, which depends upon the impressions received from the outside [world]. Through movement we come in contact with external reality, and it is through these contracts that we eventually acquire even abstract ideas.” Find out more about embodied learning, here!

We hope that you will encourage your students/kids to move, touch, play, & explore to further foster their learning!

Not only does moving, playing, and exploring foster their learning abilities, but it is also crucial for the development of social skills and life skills! Read more about why playtime is crucial for social and life skills development, here!

Study Finds Working At Work Actually Improves Productivity

Who would have thought that actually working while at work could cause such a dramatic increase in our productivity? We stumbled across this hilarious post from The Onion, and since we love our humor at JSC, we thought we would share this with you. Enjoy!

“According to a groundbreaking new study by the Department of Labor, working—the physical act of engaging in a productive job-related activity—may greatly increase the amount of work accomplished during the workday, especially when compared with the more common practices of wasting time and not working.

“Our findings are astounding: By simply sitting down and doing work, employees can dramatically increase their output of goods and services,” said Deputy Undersecretary of Labor Charlotte Ponticelli, who authored the report. “In fact, ‘working’ may revolutionize the way people work.”

Perhaps even more shocking, the study reveals that not working significantly decreases worker productivity, sometimes even resulting in no work getting done at all. Similar findings were reported in the areas of avoiding work, putting off work, complaining about work instead of actually working, pretending to work, and goofing around.”

Empathy Vs. Sympathy: Do You Know The Real Difference?

“…because the truth is rarely can a response make something better, what makes something better is connection.”

Today we want to share a great (& very informative) video that we found on EMPATHY. Dr. Brene Brown does a great job of teaching us the difference between empathy and sympathy with an animated short video. Often we intertwine the meanings of sympathy and empathy, but in reality they are two VERY DIFFERENT words. Empathy is a choice, and a connection.

More Job Opportunities For People With Autism?

Last week marked the start of Autism Awareness Month and shortly after the leader of the United Nations announced the U.N.’s “call to action” plan in which they are urging businesses around the world to do their part in employing people with autism.

A few days ago, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, “We encourage public offices, corporations and small businesses to have a closer look at the way they perceive people with autism, to take the time to learn about the condition and to create life-changing opportunities.” He continued by saying that “people with autism have enormous potential… that is why it is so important for companies to understand their unique and often exceptional skills, and to enable work environments where they can excel.”

As the Specialist In Special Education, we couldn’t agree more. Students with autism definitely have great potential so we are are very happy about the U.N’s announcement. It’s a positive and encouraging step forward for kids with autism. Ultimately, we want all students to be given opportunities to thrive in the workforce which is why we offer several video curriculums that teach core work skills, soft skills, and social skills needed for work success! Check out our school to work skills products here!

Check out the official ” Call to Action” on the UN’s official page here! It outlines how to respond to the call to action, why employers should respond, and how to proceed after a commitment is made.

#MotivationalMonday

Chester Loses His Cool!

This just in! Chester has been fired from the James Stanfield Company for his recent scandal!

Chester, best known for his lead role in the BeCOOL Series and as the star employee of the James Stanfield Company, spent his time teaching kids social skills, conflict resolution, and much more. Even under stressful situations, he’s always been known to keep his cool. But reports surfaced in the wee hours this morning after Chester was allegedly arrested for losing his cool!

What has gotten into Chester?

Update: 9:43 AMIt’s rumored that a leaked photo of Chester moments before his scandalous arrest has surfaced on the internet! We’ll keep you updated as this story unravels throughout the day.

Update #2: 11:03 AMWe were able to get a hold of a leaked photo of Chester. Check it out below! We’re told this photo was taken moments before Chester’s arrest.

Update #3: 1:45 PM

This just in! ANOTHER LEAKED PHOTO has surfaced! Check it out below!

Gotcha! Happy April Fools’ Day! Chester would never lose his cool. Chester’s motto in life is: “Don’t be HOT, Don’t be COLD, BeCOOL!” He is still currently loved by thousands of students and teachers and will continue to teach social skills, conflict management, and much more for years and years to come!